Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina and developed a competitive edge at an early age. He wanted to win every game he played. He went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981 and played on the basketball team. His team won the NCAA Division I championships in 1982 and he was the NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and 1984. During the summer of 1984, Jordan made his first appearance in the Olympics as a member of the U.S. basketball team, which won the gold at the games held in Los Angeles.
Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. After being drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was selected for the All-Star Game. In 1985, he finished his bachelor's degree in geography and continued to play basketball professionally. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlin to score more than 3,000 points in a single season. The following season, Jordan received his first Most Valuable Player Award from NBA. He won MVP four more times in 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998.
The Bulls won their first NBA championship in 1991 by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. Jordan eventually landed several endorsement deals with companies like Nike, which pushed him further into the spotlight. In 1992, the Chicago Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers to win their second NBA championship title. The team took their third championship the following year, dominating in the basketball world. Jordan’s father was killed at the end of the 1992-1993 season, and in a move that shocked many, he decided to retire from basketball to pursue baseball. He played for a minor league team, the Birmingham Barons, as an outfielder for a year.
In March 1995, Jordan returned to the basketball court and rejoined the Chicago Bulls. He helped them win the championship against the Seattle Sonics, and that same year, He starred in the movie Space Jam (1996). The next season Jordan came back even stronger, averaging 30.4 points per game. Starting all 82 games that season, he helped the team finish the regular season with 72 wins and clinch a win in the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. The two teams faced each other again for the championships in 1998, and Jordan helped the Bulls beat them for the second year in a row. Jordan retiring after the 1997-1998 season and joined the Washington Wizards as a part owner and as president of basketball operations. In the fall of 2001, Jordan left retirement and played for the Wizards for two seasons before hanging up his jersey for good in 2003.
In April 2009, he received one of basketball's greatest honors: He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan is back in the news, especially in the Orlando area, as a basketball dad. His two sons, Marcus and Jeff, are both on the basketball team at the University of Central Florida. Other than owning the Charlotte Bobcats, Jordan is also involved in a number of business ventures, including several restaurants. He currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois.
Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina and developed a competitive edge at an early age. He wanted to win every game he played. He went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981 and played on the basketball team. His team won the NCAA Division I championships in 1982 and he was the NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and 1984. During the summer of 1984, Jordan made his first appearance in the Olympics as a member of the U.S. basketball team, which won the gold at the games held in Los Angeles.
Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. After being drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was selected for the All-Star Game. In 1985, he finished his bachelor's degree in geography and continued to play basketball professionally. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlin to score more than 3,000 points in a single season. The following season, Jordan received his first Most Valuable Player Award from NBA. He won MVP four more times in 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998.
The Bulls won their first NBA championship in 1991 by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. Jordan eventually landed several endorsement deals with companies like Nike, which pushed him further into the spotlight. In 1992, the Chicago Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers to win their second NBA championship title. The team took their third championship the following year, dominating in the basketball world. Jordan’s father was killed at the end of the 1992-1993 season, and in a move that shocked many, he decided to retire from basketball to pursue baseball. He played for a minor league team, the Birmingham Barons, as an outfielder for a year.
In March 1995, Jordan returned to the basketball court and rejoined the Chicago Bulls. He helped them win the championship against the Seattle Sonics, and that same year, He starred in the movie Space Jam (1996). The next season Jordan came back even stronger, averaging 30.4 points per game. Starting all 82 games that season, he helped the team finish the regular season with 72 wins and clinch a win in the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. The two teams faced each other again for the championships in 1998, and Jordan helped the Bulls beat them for the second year in a row.
Jordan retiring after the 1997-1998 season and joined the Washington Wizards as a part owner and as president of basketball operations. In the fall of 2001, Jordan left retirement and played for the Wizards for two seasons before hanging up his jersey for good in 2003.
In April 2009, he received one of basketball's greatest honors: He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Jordan is back in the news, especially in the Orlando area, as a basketball dad. His two sons, Marcus and Jeff, are both on the basketball team at the University of Central Florida. Other than owning the Charlotte Bobcats, Jordan is also involved in a number of business ventures, including several restaurants. He currently lives in Highland Park, Illinois.